Drive-thru proposed for Spot Coffee on Transit

The Spot Coffee at 5205 Transit Road could see the installation of a drive-thru that would allow patrons to obtain their morning beverages at a quicker pace.

At the Town Board’s May 10 meeting, Benderson Development requested a special exemption use permit to add a drive-thru to the existing Spot Coffee on Transit.

James Boglioli, an attorney for Benderson, noted that in order to accommodate the drive-thru, parking will be shifted onsite, allowing cars to stack in a line around the building.

“Cars will be able to stop and either go back out to the shopping center or make a left to go out onto Transit,” Boglioli said.

The Department of Transportation asked Benderson if it could close two or three of the curb cuts in order to slow traffic.

“We closed the two accesses and created a single access,” said Boglioli. “This actually results in better traffic management because you have cars coming in and out of one location instead of three areas.”

He added that a crosswalk will be implemented for pedestrians in order to mitigate the hazards of cars entering and exiting the plaza.

“This is a good site for this because Firehouse Subs is busy at lunch, Spot Coffee is generally busy in the morning. They do get lunch business but not what Firehouse does,” he said. “We’ll have a fully marked-out crosswalk here just like what you’d see at the school or other areas of the shopping center. It’s consistent with how we usually mark drive aisles.”

In a separate matter, Davis Tiburzi requested a public hearing to consider a special exemption use permit for multiple family housing at 6855 Transit Road.

The site will include two small commercial buildings in the front, separated by a roadway that proceeds to a small patio home development.

Councilman Paul Shear informed Tiburzi that the board has received comments of concern from St. Mary’s of Swormville, located at 6919 Transit Road and situated in close proximity to the site of the potential development.

“We received a letter from St. Mary’s regarding some concerns of theirs,” said Shear. “Those concerns have been forwarded on to the Engineering and Building departments, and they’ll be addressed at the appropriate time.”

At a previous Town Board meeting in June 2016, representatives from the church expressed hesitation to support the project on the grounds that it could present safety issues for students and could exacerbate ongoing drainage issues on its property.

The Town Board set a public hearing for the project for 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 14.